Apparatus for making blades

ABSTRACT

Method and apparatus for making blades for use in tire molds by piercing, notching, bending or otherwise altering shape of a free end of strip material by successively positioning the free end and a plurality of shape altering tools in operative engagement and cutting off a so-formed blade from the free end. Apparatus includes an automated machine tool having five axes of control and means for storing and for communicating command signals to each axis. Successive different blade configurations are made without revision of shaping tools. The strip, held by jaws, may be bent up or down in successive bends by a rotating bending device. A rotatable punch and die set is included.

United States Patent Hinks et a1.

[54] APPARATUS FOR MAKING BLADES [72] Inventors: William L. Hinks; HarryL. Hesterman, both of Akron, Ohio [73] Assignee: The Goodyear Tire@Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio [22] Filed: Feb. 16, 1971 [21] Appl. No.:115,266

Related [1.8. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 744,120, July11, 1968,

Pat. No. 3,581,535.

[52] US. Cl. ..72/32l, 72/294, 72/311, 72/388, 72/312, 72/7 [51] Int.Cl. ......B2ld 11/04, B21b 37/14, 821d 9/05 [58] Field of Search..72/319, 320, 321, 322, 323, 72/388, 296, 306, 311, 294, 310, 7, 312

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,581,535 6/1971 Hinks..72/7 3,420,279 1/1969 Tuit ..72/320 2,915,106 12/1959 Green ..72/321SECTION LINE 29A 29A 51 Oct. 10,1972

3,058,512 10/1962 Chebuhar ..72/32l 1,006,861 10/1911McCabe......................72/32l 3,251,208 5/1966 Mittermaier ..72/319393,583 11/1888 Robinson....................72/3l9 3,145,756 8/1964 Hill..72I7

Primary ExaminerCharles W. Lanham Assistant ExaminerMichael J. KeenanAttorney-F. W. Brunner and R. S. Washburn ABSTRACT Method and apparatusfor making blades for use in tire molds by piercing, notching, bendingor otherwise altering shape of a free end of strip material bysuccessively positioning the free end and a plurality of shape alteringtools in operative engagement and cutting off a so-formed blade from thefree end. Apparatus includes an automated machine tool having five axesof control and means for storing and for communicating command signalsto each axis. Successive different blade configurations are made withoutrevision of shaping tools. The strip, held by jaws, may be bent up ordown in successive bends by a rotating bending device. A rotatable punchand die set is included.

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1. Apparatus for making blades for use in tire molds comprising jawmeans for cantileverly supporting a free end of blade strip material,said jaw means having a jaw terminating in a cylindrical surface havinga cylinder axis disposed transversely of and spaced from said strip, astrip bending device having a finger engageable with a surface of saidfree end and rotatable about a rotation axis, elevator means connectedto said jaw means to move said jaw means transversely with respect tosaid rotation axis, means for moving said finger transversely withrespect to said rotation axis, and driving means connected to move bothsaid elevator means and said means for moving said finger to bring saidcylinder axis and said rotation axis into collinear relation and saidfinger into surface engagement with said free end.
 2. Apparatus asclaimed in claim 1 comprising further, a rotatable punch and die set,means for positioning said device and said rotatable set alternativelyinto juxtaposition with said free end, driving means connecting withsaid device and with said punch and die set for positive corotationalrelation therebetween, whereby a single control axis is enabled tocontrol movement of both said punch and die set and said bending device.3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising a tool carrier mountedfor movement transversely with respect to said free end, a punchassembly including a punch having a non-circular cutting edge outlineand carried by said carrier for rotation about an axis generallyperPendicular to the plane of said material, a die assembly including adie button having a cutting edge outline conjugate with said punchoutline and carried by said carrier for rotation about an axis collinearwith the first said axis, and gear means spaced away from said axesconnecting said punch assembly and said die assembly, whereby rotationof one of said punch and said button is positively communicated to theother.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means forpositioning said free end of blade strip along a first axis, means forpositioning a tool along a second axis into shape altering engagementwith said end, and position sensing means operatively connected to atleast one of said means for positioning and capable of emitting a signalwhich is uniquely representative of any actual single position of saidone means, whereby the time used in communicating said signal is reducedto a substantially constant minimum.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1,comprising said jaw means supporting said free end in operative relationto said device and including a first jaw having a strip materialengaging surface, a second jaw having a strip material engaging surfacemovable toward and away from the first said surface, a wedge disposed tomove one of said jaws toward the other and said wedge itself beingmovable transversely of the movement of said one of said jaws, clampingmeans operative to move said wedge, and means for communicating commandsignals connected to said clamping means to effect operation thereof inresponse to said command signals.
 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5,further comprising means for varying the limit of movement of said wedgewhereby the movement of the second said surface away from the first saidsurface and the distance therebetween can be controlled.
 7. Apparatus asclaimed in claim 1, further comprising an electrical circuit including apotentiometer adapted to register a thickness of said strip material,said circuit being connected to energize said drive means in response toa command signal and to produce an electrical null to stop said drivingmeans in response to the thickness of material registered in saidpotentiometer.
 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said elevator meansincluding cam means having a first portion operable to effect a firstdisplacement of said jaw means and a second portion operable to effect asecond displacement in a direction opposite said first displacement, atleast one said displacement being effected at a variable rate. 9.Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, further comprising holding meansoperable selectively to increase and to decrease cam contact forcewithin said cam means.